Obscurity

As one who creates there is often a feeling of responsibility to see your creations do well, there is within us all a desire to have them exceed above the rest in one way or another. For a fame to be achieved from the magnitude of their success, to have millions of greedy eyes feast upon your bountiful harvest. But this is often not only a dangerous goal to strive for, but it can leave one dwelling upon an objectively good creation- and grieving over its faults due to it living in obscurity, it not finding what you believe to be its proper place. I personally know this is a fault in my own hands, my own work- as it seems only when I cater to specific views does my work live in the light. But it is most important to realize how natural this is a thing, and accept its existence than it is to bend to the will of what you perceive to be the shining light. If we all subjected ourselves to bending towards the light of what we believed would bring glory, rather than creating for the sake of original intent- we would all simply create based upon the same prevalent trends, and would find ourselves once again in a realm of abject obscurity wherein little could drag us from our expectations utter failure.

So, it is bad then- or rather, I will continue to write this next section assuming that I have managed to convince you that the persuit of fame should not be made a common ideal for any given creator- for we cannot expect this fame to exist if we all indulge upon it. That is assuming you didn’t already think this of course, in which case I would also encourage you to continue reading for my next assertions.

Is any particular creation only as valuable as the amount of people it has effected? Yes, and no- it is entirely dependent on how you define value – but let’s assume that value is something which is beneficial towards who you wish be benefited. Which is to say that value is a subjective thing to yourself, where the people benefiting from your work are those you wish to benefit from it. So under this definition of value the amount of eyes would in the end not necessarily help your creation. It could have an objectively net positive impact upon the people viewing it, but if the amount you give through the work does not benefit the people you wished it to the only thing you receive in the end is a piece which has failed to help those you wished it would. You have essentially completely missed your target, even when basking in the blinding light fame could provide. I believe you would agree it is much better for the original intent of the piece to be achieved than it is for a piece to be valued for what it is not, at least- in the eyes of the creator alone. Keep in mind that we are only talking about this through the eyes of the creator, the creation itself does indeed have objective value regardless of the intent of the creator- but it is more a lesson of target audience I wish to get across than a lesson of doing what is best regardless of your personal ideals. I do believe it is important for you to follow your desires in regards to creation, for if you create something amazing which benefits all but yourself- you are left an empty shell of a saint who can only give pieces of yourself rather than of your creation. It would inevitably drain you, and leave you molded by the world which may be less creative for it- despite it being technically more mentally sound.

In summary so far…

It is important for one who creates to have goals outside of fame driving their creations. The true craftsmanship of the creator comes through their ability to send messages through their art to their intended audience. If you create a piece which grants positivity to many, but fails to send the message you wished to the audience you wished the value is significantly diminished from your own perspective.

So then- within the realm of obscurity your creations may or may not live, what then is the best way to get the right eyes upon your work? Well, that is the hard part- because it is far less about what you create- than it is about who you show it to. Well, that seems like a rather offensively simple way of putting it, let me say this- your effective ability to effect the minds you wish to effect is entirely more dependent on making sure the right minds see it than it is making sure your piece can change them. Let’s assume you already know how to do that- that is, you already know how to change their minds with your piece. So how do you get them to see it?… I believe you must be the following things, incredibly honest about what you wish to show to whom you wish to show it, and you must do this at a live event. Now- this isn’t to say that the internet and art don’t get along- they do, and it can be done if that is your desire. But I’m assuming you want to change some minds and hearts about your art, and I believe truly the best way to do this is through a genuine experience.

Let me break this down and summarize my end thoughts on this here before I ramble too long….

To feel fulfilled as an artist outside of the pursuit of success or fame, one should seek to change hearts and minds that you desire to change towards a particular idea you wish them to tackle or take on- whatever this idea is, is irrelevant- what matters is that you think about it. Imagine them seeing it in a living breathing space- with their own eyes… What sounds should they hear?…. What should they see? What should they do?.. Take those ideas and make them into rules of thumb for a campaign designed around bringing people to a particular place. Manipulate what you wish them to do based on the location you bring the group of minds you wish to change, play the sounds you think will mold their minds- or none at all- ask for a respectful silence over a certain period of time- give specific meeting times- get your name out there- meet with all the people you wish to change and let them know who you are. Real life networking will provide substance to the life of art you wish to live, it may not put money in your pocket- but we’re assuming that’s not your goal here. You can always do that in other ways, you can create for money as a job- but in your purest form as a creator- seek to change the minds in ways you can’t through a computer screen- bring them to your events where your resolution is infinite and they cannot deny your humanity or intent- for you exist in the same room as them- on the same playing field- eye to eye- this is where the creator learns to mold the hearts and minds of others. This skill can then be translated roughly into knowledge online- and applied when those minds they have met have begun networking in their light.

Of course, this could all be wrong- all of this is based on many assumptions- vague assumptions and opinions that don’t necessarily hold value. Maybe I have failed my very instructions through the creation of this blog. Perhaps… I’d like to think I’m just practicing though. These ideas will be planted over time one way or another- even if I have to trespass in the fields of your mind to do it. I will find a way.